EAGLE ROCK -- Except for a small green metal street sign, there’s little indication that Occidental College is only a short walk away from York Boulevard. But that’s about the change after the liberal arts college purchased a York Boulevard commercial building with plans to create a more visible gateway on York and also attract more shops and cafes further west along the street.

LINCOLN HEIGHTS — Sign painters were out this week working on the exterior of The Heights Deli & Bottle Shop on North Broadway next to the Chapalita taco stand. The new deli is actually moving into what had been a larger version of Chapalita near the ... Read More »

Tucked away on Echo Park Avenue, The Holloway has become one of Echo Park’s best-kept secrets for brunch. Open at 10 a.m. on weekends, the upscale diner is the perfect place to gather for a family breakfast or sip on morning mimosas with friends.

You can be the judge of that on Wednesday when the coffee chain plans to remove the construction fencing around what's been called the "most depressing Starbucks in America" and open the newly remodeled York Boulevard store to walk-up customers.

HISTORIC FILIPINOTOWN -- A new, block-long apartment building now rising on Temple Street is one of several new and proposed residential projects that are seeking tenants priced out of Silver Lake and Echo Park. But the coffee houses, Pilates studios and vegan-friendly restaurants found a few blocks north are in short supply on Temple.

ECHO PARK -- Echo Park Avenue's relatively small retail scene is in the midst of change, with the recent closure of a designer shoe shop, the upcoming departure of a pet supply store and a possible replacement for the shuttered Red Hill restaurant. Here's the run down.

HIGHLAND PARK -- While new shops and restaurants have flocked to York Boulevard and Figueroa Street, Monte Vista Street has remained a sleepy side street of homes, churches and a few shops. But the opening today of Tierra Mia, a Latino-themed coffee house, might signal the arrival of other newcomers to the narrow street.

SILVER LAKE -- A new Silver Lake Boulevard sushi restaurant is looking to hire a head sushi chef to oversee daily kitchen operations, reports Eater L.A. But the lack of a head sushi chef did not stop Yakuza Sushi from holding a soft opening on Thursday, according to Yelp.

HIGHLAND PARK -- Will the Highland Park Starbucks – aka “The Most Depressing Starbucks in America” – go from sad to fab? We will find out soon. The York Boulevard store was recently shut down for renovations designed to address some of the criticism that was directed at the outlet after it opened last summer.